title: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia leading to acute respiratory failure in a current systemic corticosteroid user.
abstract: A 69-year-old female patient visited the emergency room with fever (38.3℃) and dyspnea. She had been taking prednisolone (5 mg once per day) and methotrexate (2.5 mg once per week) for rheumatoid arthritis for 2 years. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral, multifocal ground glass opacity with interlobular septal thickening. Peripheral blood leukocyte count was 6,520/mm(3) (neutrophils, 77.4%; eosinophils, 12.1%). During the night, mechanical ventilation was initiated due to the development of severe hypoxemia. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed a high proportion of eosinophils (49%). Her symptoms improved dramatically after commencement of intravenous methylprednisolone therapy. This is the first report of idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia developing in a current user of systemic corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hwa Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ju Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: Minsuk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Ju Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jae Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jae Chol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: In Won
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byoung Whui
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jae Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia; corticosteroid; respiratory failure